Pakistan: 13 missing persons return home, SHC informed

KARACHI: As many as 13 out of 25 missing persons have been traced and reported back to their homes, it was revealed in a report submitted by the police and Rangers to the Sindh High Court in the missing persons case on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the SHC directed the police and Rangers to take necessary steps to recover the remaining missing persons and submit a progress report by October 10.

Those who have returned home include Ilyas, Zahid and Arif from Korangi, Munawar Ali from Baghdadi, Muhammad, Asadullah and Muhammad Nasir from Nazimabad and others.

The court had admonished the police and law enforcement agencies at an earlier hearing over the non-recovery of missing citizens. It expressed satisfaction over the return of missing persons.

Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto remarked that nobody knows how he feels when the relatives ones of missing persons leave the courtroom disappointed. The families of the missing persons were also present in court.

One family shared that their loved one, Shamshad Ali, was missing since 2014 with seven Joint Investigation Teams already formed for his recovery, which have yet to yield results.

Other families said their loved ones were missing for years and they were exhausted from visiting courts time and again. They said all they wanted to know was if their loved ones were dead or alive so they could get closure.

Another missing person, Sheikh Muhammad Kaleem’s father told the court that his son was missing since 2016. He asked what he should prioritise – his ailing health or continuous appearances in courts. Before tearing up, he added that his son was his only hope.

Justice Phulpoto inquired when the police would recover the missing people. The judge asked what they were supposed to tell family members who attend every hearing.

The JITs have also yielded no results, he said.

The court directed the law enforcers to provide positive results within a month and adjourned the hearing.__Tribune.com